KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Kirksville head coach Tyler Martin called a timeout with 1:33 to go in the fourth quarter and his team clinging to a 46-42 lead over the Marshall Owls. The Tigers were looking a little lost on the offensive end and needed to come away with points to seal the victory. Well, Tyson Grgurich stepped up driving to the hoop and scoring to up the KHS lead to 48-42.

That aggressive move and clutch free throws by Kevin Hennke proved to be the difference as Kirksville hung on 53-50.

It wasn’t easy though. Trailing 50-44 Marshall scored five points on a driving layup and a three point bomb. Hennke went to the line with Kirksville up 51-50 and drilled both free throws, and Marshall inbounded the ball with just over 6 seconds left and got off a clean look from about 35 feet that just hit off the front iron sealing the Tigers victory.

“We have a lot of situation stuff we need to work on. The good news is we did come away with a victory,” said Martin.

Kirksville struggled from the line early in the contest. And gave up open looks to Marshall late in the game. If Marshall could have converted a couple more of those open looks the Tigers might have ended up on the other end of this one.

“The main difference between tonight and Saturday against Chillicothe is we didn’t hit free throws. That kind of knocked our confidence down. I tell them all the time confidence is contagious and it kind of worked in reverse on us tonight,” said Martin.

The Owls missed two or three open lay-ups with less than four minutes to go in the game, which allowed Hennke to step up and hit the free throws when it mattered.

“We made free throws when we needed to. You just have to relax and focus when you’re at the free throw line,” said Hennke.

Grgurich again led the Tigers’ offense as he scored 24 points, a lot of those points coming from a new spot on the floor.

“We have been trying to get him on the block more often to help make his life a little easier. It helps so that he doesn’t have to work off the dribble so much, and he is so good around the rim from about 10 feet in, he is really tough to handle,” said Martin.

Hennke added 10 points of his own.

“We just need to play tough defense and keep getting after it,” said Hennke.